Vehicle body



1 1939- R. E. c. SCHULZ' 7 VEHICLE BODY 1 Filed 'Apnl 10, 1937. -4 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 25, 1939. R. E. c. scHuLz VEHICLE BODY Filed April 10, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 25, 1939.

R. E. c. SCHULZ VEHICLE BODY Filed April 10, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ynvemon- July 25, 1939. R. E. c. SCHULZ 2,157,376

VEHJIGLE BODY Filed April 10, 19s! 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 'mmed 1939 Application April 10, 1931, Serial No. 136.212 7 Germany April 11, 1936 1 Claim- (o1. 296-31).

In vehicle, bodies of pressed artificial resin material, especially for vehicles of large ,dimen-' sions, a difficulty is met in the manufacture, since the floor, on accountof its size, requires large and correspondingly expensive dies and plungers and very powerful presses, the production ofwhich does not appear justified for the manufacture of small numbers. 1

The invention provides a vehicle body, more particularly for automobiles, using artificial resin or'similar susbtance, and the novelty consists in this, that the floor of the body is made ,o'ffwood or metal and that the other parts of the bodyare pressed from artificial resin, preferably contain-. 15 mg laminated paper as a filler. 1

In this way the manufacture, of the vehicle is made considerably simpler, since the floor, which is of comparatively-simple shape, canbe-made in one piece from solid material without using excessive pressure, and the other parts can be reliably secured thereto. 7 g

According to the inventionthe floor should be madeof plywood or more particularly sheet of a metal of high strength, such materials-make themanufacturing costs less without considerably increasing the weight of the vehicle construction.

v.The floor may advantageously be provided with longitudinal and transverse reinforcements, or, when made in sheet metal, mayhave pressed-out partsand the other parts of the body may, by similar means, he so strongly constructed and so firmly secured togetherand to the floortliata self-supporting body is obtained. In order completely to achieve the object of this self-supporting construction, according to the invention the pressed parts are united at the highly stressed places as for example, the door posts, by means of metal reinforcements and this makes the whole construction so rigid and resistant to torsionthat, in spite of the light weight which is obtained, even vehicles with powerful engines can be constructed according to the self-supporting principle.

In order to ensure this rigid connection even for the comparatively thin artificial resin parts,

45 the edges of these parts and other highly stressed places are reinforced by means of appliedstrips of the same material, which are united with the base material during the pressing operation. These places give a sufliciently strong hold'for the ordinary connecting means, so that, even when the vehicle is greatly stressed, it is impossible for such connecting means to be turned out or loosened. l

As a further valuable featurethe floor-accord ing to the invention is covered with a protective -.-layer of artificial resin; this layer gives the same valuable resistance to rain water and other detrimental infiuences, even when the floor is made very thin, so that the length of life of the body is in no way reduced, in spite of the use of two constructional materials. I

. A number of constructional examples of the invention a'reillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

. Fig. ,1 shows the vehicle body in longitudinal 5- section,

Fig. 2is apart section on the line II-- II of 'Fig.1,,j'

Fig'. 3jis a part section on the line III- HI of Fig. 4 is a pa section on theli'ne IV-IV of -1;

Fig. 5 is'a plan corresponding-to Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a plan corresponding to Fig. '3,

' Fig. 7 shows a self-supporting vehicle body-iii go longitudinal section, l

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the vehicle body partly in section, Y v

Fig. 9 is apart section on the line 1XIX of Fig. 7,1 1 1 .Fig. 10is a part section onthe line x-x of Fig. 7,

Fig. 11 is a part section on the line ,of Fig. 8, 1

Fig. 12 is a planvlew correspondingto Flg.'10, 30

Fig. 13 is a part section of a further construcw tional form at the height-ofthe section IX-IX in Fig.7, i. 9

Figfi. 14is a partsection on the line XIV-XIV of Fig. '7, I i

Fig. 15 is a part section onthe line XV-XV-Of Fig. '7, W

Fig. 16 is a plan viewcorresp'onding to Fig. 14.

According to Figs. 1-6, the parts from which" the new body is constructed are: two .cowl side 40 parts a cowl upper part 2 with frame 3, a roof 4, two rear vehicle body parts 5 with wheel box 5a in one piece with frame for side windows 6, a vehicle rear part 1 and a floor 8. In the constructional examples the parts 1-1 5 consist of comparatively thinpressed artificial resinmaterial, for example with laminated paper as filling materwl, and a notch shock strength of as nearly as possible'20-25 cmkg/cm. The

floor 8 in this vexample is pressed from sheet 5 metal and runs out rearwardly from the part adjoining the wheelbox 5a in a flat part 9. In thefront part it is reinforced longitudinally by lateral box-form reinforcements l0, and for transverse reinforcement profiles II and i2, which 5 serve at the same time for supporting the' seat rails, are applied. The rear profile is constructed to extend obliquely and serves at the same time as a foot rest for the rear seats.

For connecting them together and to the floor the parts l-JI are provided with edges l3 and are connected to the edges of the adjoining parts and the flanges of the floor by means of ordinary screw bolts or similar'connecting means. At highly stressedplaces, for example at the front door posts, separate metallic angle pieces N form the connecting means; these are made U-shaped and have flanges l5 and I6, by means of which they are connected with the artificial resin parts over a large area by means of screws H. For the rear door posts similar connecting pieces l8 are provided, and moreover, the wheel box So is secured by means of riveted screws to the connecting piece i8by means of a metal sheet l9. At the joints, especially between artificial resin and sheet metal, the edges of the artificial resin parts are reinforced by applied strips of the same These strips areserted longitudinal bearers can also be used for .;the fiOOI.

According to Figs. 7 and 8, the whole'body construction is the same as in Figs. 1-7. The floor however, is made rigid and securely connected to the body, so that a self-supporting body is obtained. The laterally attached profiles il'la of the floor are carried forward so far that they can be used in suspending the engine and the front wheels. Transverse reinforcements lid and Ho are likewise provided with correspondingly greater height and further transverse reinforcen ents iic are applied on the floor or are secured rangement 23 for the rear wheels can be fixed on the floor. 1

According to Fig. 9 the lateral reinforcements Illa are constructed as box-form bearers composed of individual sheet metal strips, while Figs. 10-12 and i4, it show U-sections lllb acting its longitudinal reinforcements. The under side of the floor is provided with an artificial resin layer 24 for protection against rain water. Fig. 11 shows a rubber section 25 between the door 6a and the longitudinal member lflb for sealing the artificial resin door to.

In Fig. 13, while the remaining construction is the same, the floor and the box-form bearers illc are composed of plywood plates, and these plates are held together by means of longitudinal reinforcements 26 in which ordinary wood screws 21 can be screwed for attaching the artificial resin edges. dating the feet is in this case made of sheet metal; the plywood plate lying nearest to the road surface may be covered with an artificial resin layer or may be impregnated with artificial resin.

Figs. 14, 16 show a particularly rigid construction of the rear fioor part and the side wheels and the flanges 2|, which give good transverse reinforcement and to which the rear fioor part 9 is attached.

In Fig. 15 the reinforcement edge I3 of the A box part 28 for accommo-= wheel box 5a follows the course of a pressed-outpart 29 of the bottom part 9 provided for making possible the springing of the rear Wheels, the edgeof the pressing 5a being connected Wit/11,151! part 9.

What I claim is A vehicle body, more particularly for an automobile, comprising in combination a floor made of metal and other parts pressed from laminated paper impregnated with artificial resin with reinforcements at the points of connection with the, floor, formed by uniting strips of the same material with the parts during the pressing operation.

REINHOLD ERHARD CONRAD SCHULZ. 

